


Beneath the Sea

by SunnyBitche



Category: The Dark Artifices Series - Cassandra Clare, The Shadowhunter Chronicles - Cassandra Clare, The Wicked Powers Series - Cassandra Clare
Genre: Aged-Up Character(s), Alternate Universe - Pirate, Inspired by Pirates of the Caribbean, M/M, Minor Original Character(s), Multi, but not the same i guess
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-01-16
Updated: 2021-01-16
Packaged: 2021-03-14 12:00:56
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 2
Words: 3,407
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28795053
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SunnyBitche/pseuds/SunnyBitche
Summary: Life has never been easy for Kit Herondale. Ever since he was a young boy, he knew there was something more. Magic was real and it was beautiful, but also dark. It was an uncharted territory he could never even hope to understand.Fate, however, seems determined to make him understand.Pushed into a new adventure with old friends, old enemies and an old maybe lover, he will have to uncover a secret hidden for centuries.This is a Pirate AU because I live for these.
Relationships: Drusilla Blackthorn/Ash Morgenstern, Jem Carstairs/Tessa Gray, Julian Blackthorn/Emma Carstairs, Magnus Bane/Alec Lightwood, Other Relationship Tags to Be Added, Tiberius Blackthorn/Kit Rook
Comments: 6
Kudos: 22





	1. Chapter 1

Kit Herondale has never considered himself lucky. And yet, he had never cursed his luck more than he did at the moment. 

The gallows stood threateningly in front of him and the line of people was quickly shrinking. He had given up planning an escape a few minutes ago as he saw a boy’s sad attempt. It had ended with his head far away from its body and Kit actually preferred to keep it, even in death. His only hope was that at least it would be quick.

Two more people stood up on the platform and Kit averted his eyes. One of them was a child, no more than ten years old. He remembered his own previous experiences with capital punishment – mainly how the rope had been tightened around his neck, before Jem and Tessa showed up and saved him. There was absolutely no way of that happening now.

Just as he was about to get into yet another depressive episode, the crowd grew quiet. That was unusual, people were always loud when enjoying someone else’s misery. Suddenly, a scream broke the silence and the rest of the crowd followed suit. It was not the excited, sadistically happy shouting from before.

Kit couldn’t stop looking at the horror on the people’s faces. They all started running away from the square, presumably back to their homes. Scared as Kit was of being hanged in the next few minutes, he couldn’t process what exactly was going on. Were those gunshots he was hearing? Maybe someone had just fallen over in their rush.

He tried to make out what was happening, but people blocked his view. Some of them even smashed into him as they were passing by in a hurry. No one paid attention to the condemned.  
Kit came back to his senses – this was his chance. Even though his legs were bound together with a rope, he realized they were not connected to the others’ legs as it had been before. Someone must have cut the rope. Well, so much for the experienced fighter Kit, who definitely had everything under control. Upon looking at the platform, he realized that even the little boy had escaped. Fuck, he thought, I’m an idiot.

He started jumping slightly to the left. There was some sort of a workshop on the corner of the street with its doors inexplicably open. Kit made approximately four jumps before someone crashed into him and sent him to the ground. Whoever it was, they did not deem him important enough because they kept running without a second thought. Well, things were going great. Kit had a tiny little fleeting thought about how much easier it would have been if he had just been hanged already. He decided not to dwell on that unwelcomed thought.  
Crouching to his legs, Kit managed to somewhat untie the rope holding them together. He did get stepped over and he did hear a few gunshots and a few screams. And he was a bit terrified, too. No matter, he got up and made a run for the workshop.

Kit was curious why other people didn’t just go hide in it as well, but once he got in and smashed the door closed, he got the idea. It was a sewing workshop although there had been no sign above the door. It was way too dark for a job that relied heavily on one’s vision. Kit couldn’t guess how they differentiated between the colours. He did make out one colour, however, and that was red. It was all over the floor as if someone painted it on purpose. 

Kit thought about going back to the hell that was out there, but he heard another gunshot and decided against it. He had some ideas about what was going on but none of them seemed plausible so he ignored them. Focus on the now, as his motto advised.

He took a step into the wokshop, then another. Nothing looked out of the ordinary except the smudged blood on the floor. The dresses and shirts looked as perfect as new, they were probably new. Kit, never one to miss opportunities, took a shirt and a pair of pants with him. He came upon a table with multiple scissors and knifes on it, surrounded by frills and lace. It seemed like it would have been a nice dress, had the tailor not died right next to it.

The man was on the ground with an axe sticking from his back. Kit guessed he was reaching for the knife. Not that it would have helped, Kit thought sourly. He quickly took the knife and cut the much tighter rope on his wrists. They were a bit bloodied but it could have been worse for sure.

He tossed his new clothes over his shoulder and gripped the knife. If the killer was still in the shop, he would have known Kit was walking around. He definitely shouldn’t have smacked that door. Cursing his impulsiveness, he continued his way into the backroom.

It was a big, open space with many wooden chests and old clothes. Some of them looked positively unsalvageable. Kit scrunched his nose at the smell of moss or whatever was growing at the back of the room. It was green and it smelled horrible. He hoped his new clothes had never before seen this part of the workshop. 

Deeming it safe enough, the boy quickly took of his old, dirty clothes and put on the new ones. His face was still grimy from lying in his cell and dusty from when he fell on the road. He feared his blond hair did not look very blond right now, but if he found where the tailor kept his water, all could be quickly fixed.

He did not get to wonder around much more before a voice ruined his peace.

‘’Good morning! You enjoying your new clothes? There are some more if you wanna get outta here.’’

That was not a pleasant voice and Kit feared turning back. Mostly because the man definitely wanted to murder him, but also because the man had definitely seen his naked ass while he was changing.

He did eventually turn around after the moment of hesitation. Otherwise, there might have been an axe at his back as well.

The man who stood in front of him was grinning nastily. He was not ashamed to show his teeth, even though half of them were missing. His clothes were not missing anything. He had put on some new ones from the shop but they were a horrible match. As comical as the image in front of Kit was, the boy immediately knew that the one standing in front of him was a pirate. A pirate with another fucking axe.

‘’ Actually, I found what I was looking for. I’ll be on my way now. ‘’

The pirate laughed but did not move from the door.

‘’ You have to pay, ya know ‘’, he said and as impossible as it sounds his grin became even more revolting.

‘’ The tailor is dead. ‘’

‘’ I’m the replacement. ‘’

‘’ I don’t have money.’’

‘’ I know. ‘’

The pirate stormed into the room before Kit could think of a response. The axe did not split his face into two, nor did it cut his entire head off. The boy realized the pirate’s intentions and swung his knife out. 

Kit tried with a direct stab, but the pirate was too fast. The man actually looked as if he was enjoying this and it made Kit’s skin crawl. He waited for his opponent to make the first move this time, but the pirate just circled him lazily. Like a cat trying to get a mouse, Kit thought and felt his anger rising. This day was already too much. He couldn’t even comprehend how he wasn’t dead, and now this swine was playing games with him.

He made a lunge to the side, which the pirate escaped easily, but Kit quickly made another one. He was cornering the man to the back of the room, where the indoors ‘garden’ was flourishing. As agile as the man was, eventually he did hit one of the bigger wooden chests. It opened immediately and some scarves flew out of it. Kit got distracted by how colourful they were.

The pirate took this moment to attack again, this time with the axe. Apparently, Kit just wasn’t worth it.

‘’ Can we just leave it and go on our separate ways? ‘’, Kit knew it was pointless, but he had to try.

‘’ No ‘’

At least he tried.

‘’ You know, I actually like pirates. I know some of you, we are great friends… or at least we were…’’

They were still trying to hit each other, but the pirate was too fast and Kit had decided to throw scarves at him any time he got close with the axe.

‘’ They were a really nice family, respectable…ouch…but I suppose it’s not for…what is your problem, man…’’

The man had managed to scratch Kit’s upper arm and it burned like hell. Unluckily, it was his right hand, the one he was holding the knife with.

‘’ Listen, kid, I just came off a ship. We have been sailing for months, ya know. And a man has certain needs, ya know.’’, the pirate was getting closer and closer as he was speaking.

Kit did not trust his arm to hold the knife as straight as it should. He had not eaten proper food for weeks, he was still in shock about how close he had come to death and now that he was actively bleeding, he didn’t think he could hold on much longer.

‘’ I have certain urges, too. Getting out of here is one.’’

Kit turned around and ran as fast as he could. At least he was a good runner, kind of. A malnourished kid against a man who did not pant once while fighting. Kit actually thought the pirate was holding back, otherwise there would have been no way he would have won.

Kit managed to get out of the back room, but just as he was passing the dead tailor, the pirate caught up to him and grabbed him. Kit tossed his head back and hit him in the nose. It started bleeding and some of the blood fell on Kit’s hair. He started shaking in disgust. Finally, the boy escaped from the man’s arms.

The man’s calm, grinning façade broke and the anger showed in his face and stance. Stabbing him was out of the question now that the knife had fallen a few feet away. Running was not an option either. The only plan Kit came up was screaming his lungs out. 

The pirate jumped into action just as Kit took a long breath. The boy screamed like a madman, and while at first the man was trying to stop him, soon he let Kit go. The boy kept his eyes closed for what seemed like an eternity. When he calmed himself enough to look around, there was no one there but him. Fuck, Kit thought, I did it again.


	2. Chapter 2

Kit wiped his hands into his new clothes. They were still somewhat shining, even though the magic had already done its miracle. 

Not for the first time in his life Kit praised the strange power running through him. He cursed it sometimes, too. After all, this magic was what had brought the latest death punishment onto his head. And yet, when thoroughly needed, it always proved useful.

When the strange light became no more but a slightly distinctive flush, Kit got up from the floor. He didn’t understand how these magical things worked. There were hundreds of people accusing him of being a witch, a warlock or whatever else their imagination could muster, but he considered himself none of those. He really had no idea what he was doing.

The boy assessed the room and figured one more shirt would not hurt the dead tailor on the floor. He took his time choosing his new clothes. Once he got out of the shop he needed to look like a contributing member of society, instead of an escaped convict. Instead of putting them right away, Kit decided to try going upstairs. The upper floor of the small building was nothing much. It was a stuffed, tiny room that consisted of only a bed, a wardrobe and a bureau which definitely caught Kit’s attention.

He went through all the rack and found some reasonably valuable rings, earrings and brooches. He also found another colorful scarf and unfolded it. There seemed to be a theme there. All the scarves had fairytale elements sewn into the cotton. That one in particular reminded Kit of the sleeping beauty story Tavvy had been obsessed with. Kit was not a sentimental person, but he decided to keep it. Completely not because of sentimentality. He only wanted it because it seemed warm…

There was a bath tub at the other end of the room and water in a few pots. It was cold but Kit did not mind. He poured it all in the tub, without even considering heating the water. He stripped and got in quickly, he scrubbed viciously and managed to bring his hair back to its natural bright colour instead of the dull blondish-brownish it had been before. It was nice to finally relax.  
He considered what he should do. There weren’t many options, really. He didn’t know anyone in the city, at least anyone who was not actively trying to murder him. He could sell the jewelry and get enough money to convince one of the ships to take him. But where could he go? 

This wasn’t his first time getting in trouble because of something he could not help. Other people had seen his magic, too. He had no idea how to control it and frankly was just as scared as them. However, his first solution was never death – something the others disagreed with. He really missed Jem and Tessa in times like these.

Kit finally got out of the tub and put on his new clothes. His wet hair he tied with a thin ribbon he found atop the tailor’s bureau. Kit deemed himself presentable and made his way out of the bedroom, down the stairs and into the ground floor of the workshop. 

Leaving out of the front door would be a massive problem if someone else went in after him. The body still lying next to the table would be just another death sentence. Kit did not want to try out his luck again.

Instead he went into the backroom again and tried to find a back door. Usually all the buildings had at least one in case of a fire. This workshop was mostly made of wood, Kit couldn’t even imagine someone dismissing the fire hazard. There must definitely be a back door.

And he did find it. Although it looked as if it had become one with the wall. It was in the strange ‘garden’ growing back there. Kit could make out the door only because there was a tiny, almost unnoticeable handle which stood out against the greenery. He tried it once, then twice, but the door wouldn’t budge. 

He tried pulling and pushing the door with all his strength, even if there was not much left. His effort was met with no success. Kit decided to try using the strange magic he was so easily wielding just an hour ago, but to no effect. As always, he could not control them. 

Kit accepted that he would have to go through the front door and took a coat from one of the hangers. It was old and ugly, but he needed its collar to conceal his face.  
In a moment of bravery, Kit quickly opened the door and went out in what he hoped was a dignified manner. He wanted to fit in with the crowd, not very rich, but not poor as dirt like he actually was. Definitely didn’t want to look like a criminal.

What he did not expect, however, was to find the square completely empty. No living soul was in sight. Though there were a few dead ones. 

Anywhere he looked, there was complete and utter destruction. There was almost nothing left of the gallows. The entire platform was broken into pieces, scattered all over the square. One of the pillars, which appeared to have been cut sharp intentionally, was thrust through someone’s chest. It took Kit a moment to realize that it was the hangman’s chest. 

A shudder ran through him. There were more people, innocent people. Well, as innocent as you can be if you are cheering for a person’s execution. There was too much blood. And the workshop, in which he had hidden in, was not the only one attacked. There were several other building on the street with their doors ripped from their hinges. Kit assumed there were even more dead bodies inside. It was the most gruesome image he had ever seen.

It took him some time to get over the initial shock and start moving. Eventually he made a few unsure steps in the direction he assumed the docks were. As Kit was walking, thousands of questions popped up in his head. Who had done this? Why would they do this? Where had they gone now?

The last question was the one that worried him the most. If the murderers came back, he would most definitely die, no surprises this time. 

Kit stopped in the middle of the empty street when he came to the realization that it was pirates who had done this. It surprised him this wasn’t his immediate conclusion. He should have known as soon as he fought that pirate in the workshop. Of course, he wouldn’t have come alone. Bad guys always move in groups. Well…maybe not all of them were bad…there was Ty…  
Enough of this, he decided. Picking up the pace, Kit was soon met with another terribly haunting sight. He managed to find the docks alright, but they had taken their fair share of the pirates’ cruelty as well. Almost all the ships were burned. Not entirely but enough to leave serious damage. Well, leaving would be even more difficult now.

The coastal market was havocked. Food was trampled on the ground, one would think that a herd of horses had ran over it. The exotic fabrics and jewelry did not look exotic anymore. Instead of stealing them, the pirates had decided to ruin them the best they could. They had torn up the cloths and smashed any pair of earring or necklaces they had seen.

Kit made a mental account of how much all of this was worth. Surprise, surprise, it was a lot. Why would pirates destroy such valuable goods, when their entire line of work depended on stealing and selling them.

He looked at the houses aligned by the coast. Not the best place for a house, he decided, even if there weren’t insane murderous pirates beneath your window, it was still too noise with all the ships. Said windows were all dark now- everyone had lowered their curtains. Kit continued walking by them in despair. How the hell was he going to sail away now? 

Through one of the windows Kit saw two eyes peeking down at him. It was a child, Kit concluded. The kid was hiding behind the curtain unsuccessfully, it was too curious to manage hiding. Suddenly, a woman came up next to the child and angrily closed the curtains. Kit knew he was the only one stupid enough to walk on the street and yet, when he saw the disapproving look on the woman’s face, he could not help but feel ashamed by his idiocy. He needed to find a place to hide.

Leaving was not an option anymore, so he needed to focus on finding a place to stay while he was in the city. There was no one he could ask, really. Especially now with everyone scared for their life, they would certainly not accept a stranger. 

Although he was deep in thought, Kit still noticed the small sign, hanging in front of one small, inconspicuous building. It read ‘ Shade’s bookshop ‘ in beautiful cursive letters. Kit knew exactly whose handwriting that was.

He did not hesitate to knock.


End file.
